Residents Speak
Residents Speak on the Closing of Queen Street and Overtourism
Niagara-on-the-Lake town Council in July of 2020 decided to close the only commercial street that crosses Niagara-on-the-Lake. The result is 14,000 cars have to go down quiet residential streets reducing the safety of citizens and visitors and reducing the visitor experience and the residents quality of life.
Comments
"We live on King Street down by the lake. We have lived here since the mid 90’s and are at our wits end with tourists. We are so fed up with tourists, we are ready to move from Old Town. We have had it. Loud noise from souped up cars and motorcycles, revving engines, tourists urinating across the street in the bushes in full view when we are eating on our porch, out of towers massing in front of our house, no social distancing, the smell of BBQs wafting from Queen Royal Park, loud music blasting from cars, tourists wandering in our yard, tourists wandering into our house, not a lie, tourists picking leaves off of our beautiful trees, people gobbing and spitting on the sidewalks in front of our house and the list goes on. Is this a place that residents really want to live in when we feel there is now no real quality of life when you live right in the thick of tourists.
Yes people have often said then why did you chose to live here but honestly, it was not like this 24 years ago. We would love to participate in any way we could to enhance this town for its residents. The traffic on King Street is no longer manageable. Speeding vehicles need to be deterred on King Street with speed bumps, more stop signs, made a one way street, so many possibilities. Thank you for listening. My husband and I truly hope you understand the quality of life we now have here on King Street as it gets worse every year."
G.C. - Town Resident
"Degradation of quality of life due to congestion and overcrowding (also tied to residential overdevelopment and the proliferation of inappropriate architectural housing types and subdivision design) - traffic issues - particularly dangerous and aggressive driving by visitors, and concomitant responses by frustrated local residents - overcrowding of Queen Street and adjacent areas, particularly in summer (may be improved if summertime pedestrianization initiatives are adopted, with the provision of adequate offsite parking)
Threats to cyclists and pedestrians (locals snd tourists) from high traffic volumes, aggressive driving, and predatory parking practices - erosion of small town ambiance by tourism-driven development, particularly incipient threats to expand Hwy 55 to accommodate peak tourist flows (absurd in a town that relies on its small town charm as a major attraction, and which has such massive parallelism in arterial roads) - conflicts between intolerant motorists, naive cyclists, and overly assertive road cyclists on Lines and Concessions - etc.
My stance is categorically NOT anti-tourism (I teach courses on the subject at Brock University) - but I do object to commercial and corporate agendas driving our planning decisions, and reject the notion that perpetual growth (economic or physical) is desirable. Many of these issues and concerns can be mitigated by appropriate and creative policy initiatives and intelligent planning decisions, as well as the recognition that tourism destinations have optimal sizes and undergo very predictable life cycles that must be managed sustainably."
C.A. - Town Resident
"I want the best for NOTL but finding a balance between tourism, development and the comfort and rights of residents can be messy. Niagara Falls is a prime example of everything that can go wrong. What occurred there, and continues to occur, CAN happen to NOTL and there is every indication that it is on its way."
A.A. - Town Resident
"As a taxpayer in NOTL and someone whose presence in the town extends back over two decades, I wish to indicate my opposition to the proposed closure of Queen Street. I see no benefits (only misinformed and misguided optimistic hopes) and many downsides to this proposal and view it as extremely narrow-minded in considering the possible versions of the future we all contemplate for our town. There are a multitude of alternative win-win options to consider. A simple solution to a complex problem is rarely the best one; I urge council to use careful and considered judgment in their deliberations of this issue."
P.R. - Town Resident
"My husband and I own one of the condos at the old Cottage Hospital site with a driveway exiting on to Queen Street. We understand and support the decision for temporary Queen Street closures during the pandemic to allow for safe physical distancing and a place for town residents and visitors to exercise.
However, we do not support any plan to continue closing Queen Street on a regular basis. During the times that the street is closed, access to and from our driveway becomes more difficult and we notice a very significant increase in noise, traffic and vehicle pollution on the quiet streets between us and the river, on which we and others normally enjoy walking. This traffic makes the residential parts of Niagara-on-the Lake less pleasant and attractive, both for residents and tourists. We also worry a lot about the safety of the horses pulling carriages through these streets with the motorcycles etc. whizzing by. This situation will only be amplified after the pandemic, when tourist traffic returns to baseline rates.
The quiet, historic atmosphere of this town is one of its main draws for residents and tourists alike. A busy main street is unavoidable given the lack of any other obvious main thoroughfare between the Parkway and the Golf Course. However, preserving the charm of the side streets is equally important in satisfying tax-paying residents, and in continuing to attract those tourists who look beyond the icecream shops to fully embrace our town.
A.R. - Town Resident
"In the summer months the ratio of residents / tourists (day trippers) is completely out of proportion causing a negative lifestyle for residents. As voters, we are also the ones paying for the services used by day trippers ie; washrooms, parks etc. My morning walks through Queen's Royal Park is saddened by all of the trash left by tourists.
We have little park space in this town which for the most part not accessible to locals because they are overrun by day trippers.
East Hampton on Long Island has a private beach which is for the exclusive use of residents. Parking permits for the parking lot are given to locals with fines of over $200 for non resident parking.
During the Queen Street closure, living on Prideaux was like living next to the Indie 500 with all of the motorcycles and muscle cars racing revving their engines on our side streets-it was awful!
I fully support tourists who come here to enjoy our beautiful town but they must contribute financially to their stay and respect NOTL for what it is."
B.F. - Town Resident
"There is ZERO enforcement of our current By-Laws, and enforcement would in some measure solve some of the overtourism. It is a Free-for-All right now for all visitors who come here. The current By-Law for Noise speaks to the issues we all experience with overtourism."
A.P. - Town Resident
"I have been a regular tourist of Niagara on the Lake since the 1960s; often making at least a couple visits a year and staying between 2 and 10 days typically on a visit. I think many regular tourists who love the town are very disappointed and concerned with many of the changes to the town they love. It runs the risk of becoming just another tourist trap.It is painfully close to the tipping point I perceive. I think the resident concerns and the tourist concerns align in many areas.
I will understand if you do not want to include me in your efforts which I nonetheless heartily applause. It is important that you know that you do not only speak for yourselves but also for a loyal cadre of visitors. NOTL must be careful not to become the victim of its own success. This is particularly true as the pandemic threatens to destabilize much of what remains of the good part of the town that makes it a real, unique and desirable attraction. I wish you luck in your pursuits. Remember...if repeat tourists finally give up and turn way you will have lost the core of the success I have watched carefully grown since my first visits with my parents many years ago."
C.G. - Tourist
"There are too many people having picnics and leaving their trash.
Every time I walk in the town ( and parks) I find all-kind of trash. It is sad. I ‘d like to see some enforcement about that. It easy patrolling and check when people are leaving."
O.C. - Town Resident
"I have lived in then Chautauqua neighbourhood for over 30 years. It used to be no problem to walk the dog throughout the neighbourhood even though there are no sidewalks. Now the traffic is so bad you are risking you personal safety to go for a walk, especially on the weekend. I want my neighbourhood back."
K.F. - Town Resident
"Living here for 30 plus years, I have seen a huge change in the focus of Queen street and not for the better. Something has to be done to control this.
This group is long overdue. Kudos Bruce et al."
M.D. - Town Resident
"I think this group is a great idea. My rant here is generally related to Queen Street, recognizing this is part of a much broader conversation.
My husband and I live at …….. and …….Streets. This is our second summer in Old Town. When we sold our house in downtown Toronto’s Cabbagetown neighbourhood, the two most common questions were, “Niagara-on-the-Lake? Are you retiring?” (no) and, “Niagara-on-the-Lake? Are you going to run a B and B?” (again, no). These questions were almost always accompanied by kidding about the proliferation of ice cream, fudge, and overpriced tchotchke shops.
Sure, people perceive NOTL as pretty, but artificial. Sure, most of the people who work in Town seem to commute in from outlying areas. But we were adamant – life here was going to be magical. We loved the idea of the history, the charm, the quiet of a small town life, and the access to the border and the Shaw Festival. We would spend lots of time outdoors in our larger garden.
As the weather improved in Spring 2019, over-the fence-chats with longtime residents included advice to avoid Queen Street between May and October. We laughed, but soon learned our neighbours were right. Strangers regularly came (come) onto our property to take photos of the house, as though we’re part of a Disneyland re-creation of an actual old house. We started to wonder if we had picked the right small town. Friends who had moved to Dundas and Stratford were enjoying the perks, without the inflated real estate prices and tourist headaches.
Even before the corona virus, we often commented on how nice it would be to see a more balanced approach to the businesses and services of the main street. Imagine walking to get a haircut, without spa prices. I’ve seen lots of old photos of Queen Street showing a dry cleaner, butcher shop, florist, and stationary shops. Rents as they are now deter the types of regular businesses (other than the post office and a single grocery store) that contribute to a walking-friendly, living town with a “real” main street that locals use and enjoy all year, not just in the winter.
Canada Day and the first weekend of the Queen Street closure brought noise and litter to our home in a most unwelcome way. My husband and I walked up to Queen Street on two different days to see how the closure was going, and saw crowds on sidewalks avoiding the heat of the open street. Back at our home, the non-stop traffic, motorcycle noise, car radios, crowds of people and the litter on the boulevard after they left (paper ice cream cups, plastic spoons, disposable masks and gloves etc.) was horrible. Truly, spending time in our former postage-stamp sized garden in the heart of downtown Toronto was never remotely as noisy. The Shaw Festival is off, the border is closed and our backyard (which, because ours is a corner house, runs alongside the Gate Street sidewalk) is loud and full of peeking faces through the hedge.
I completed the 'Join the Conversation' survey online and asked the Town to share the burden of the detour routes by changing the traffic flow each weekend of the pilot.
Decision making in the face of an unprecedented crisis is impossible to get right, but the current approach to recovery, to cram in as many visitors as possible, can’t be the direction we want to carry on in. This is a chance to examine our identity as a community – who we were, who we’ve become and who we want (and don’t want) to be in a year or ten year’s time? Can NOTL return to being liveable for retirees, families and students, more alluring for artisans and entrepreneurs? A place with schools and good health care options? Is a diversified economy with an enticing historic centre, but one that doesn’t rely only on mass tourism to generate employment and tax revenue possible? I certainly hope so. If not, is NOTL on track to be the next Venice? Underpopulated and over-touristed?"
A.P. - Town Resident
"We had the misfortune to live behind a short term rental Airbnb. We really only had to endure one season but what went on there was a disgrace. There are supposed to be laws in place to protect residents. Complains fell on deaf ears. It became clear that nothing that might deter renters would occur. Bring in the tourists, squeeze every dime you can out of them that's what's important.As for Queen Street it's starting to look like Clifton Hill in Niagara Falls, cheap and nasty!"
J.H. - Town Resident
"We live in Old Town in an over 200 year old house. Recently with the weekend closure of Queen Street we have many more cars and motorcycles driving through our neighbourhood. We avoid Queen Street in the summer because of the volume of day-trippers buying ice-cream cones and window-shopping. Sadly for us, Queen Street has become irrelevant - many shops don't sell anything we need and are catering to the high volume day-trippers lining our sidewalks all summer.
Several years all we had tourists setting up a picnic complete with a hibachi on our front lawn. We often encounter tourists at our front door taking pictures of themselves and our home. Last summer had a group actually walk right in claiming to be looking for a local restaurant. Time for some changes! Over-tourism will spoil the lovely town we live in and can only drive taxes up over time in order to support the infrastructure needed for this volume.
Fully supportive of focusing on economic development that emphasizes more than just Queen Street."
J.M. - Town Resident
"I think the decrease in the number of tourists, especially the international tourists, is really illustrating how many of the businesses on Queen Street are tourist focused. There are very few businesses that residents can use on a regular basis because so few businesses cater to the needs of the locals. How many $15 bars of soap does a person need, how many ice cream cones, how many NOTL t-shirts? Most locals avoid Queen Street, especially in the summer because it is too expensive and there is not much there for us to buy."
A.H. - Town Resident
"Traffic on the Parkway is a real concern, it has grown exponentially over the past few years. Too many cars, too many noisy motorcycles, and soon to be returning: those big tour buses.
The condition of the asphalt has badly deteriorated on the Parkway in just the past 2 years. Why are tour buses permitted to take this route? We believe they should be routed onto secondary roads.
Speeding motorists and illegal passing is a real issue and the Parkway should have more officers patrolling for enforcement.
Cyclists also cause issues on this roadway, backing up cars, and adding to the possibility of accidents just waiting to happen. Why are cyclists not obligated to use the path that stretches most of the road?
We watch in horror too often at all the near misses we see from our front windows."
Y.S. - Town Resident
"Live on Niagara Blvd at Ryerson Park. Friday Saturday Sunday at least 50 Motorcycles per day with not a muffler in sight. Endless traffic from 11 am until 700 pm. Sunset brings a few hundred people to Park with every side street totally packed."
M.E. - Town Resident
"Bravo to Bruce Gitelman for initiating -Voters for Sustainable Tourism.
We have been privileged to live in Niagara on the Lake for over 23 yrs., renting for 11 yrs. prior. There have been numerous changes during this period, some good ...some negative. We purchased our home to escape the growing commercialism & crowds of big cities. To enjoy the charm, peace & quiet of the land & lake, the historic value of the town along with it's unique residents. We respect our town & would like to see it's charming atmosphere protected from continuing negative commercial endeavours.
We are a small town that opens up to tourists all summer to support our economy yet invading residents quality of life. Each year we see further tacky commercialism for financial gain to all but residents. During the COVID19 epidemic the closure of Queen Street on weekends is not protecting our residents who pay high residential taxes & support the town all year long. It is not benefiting many shops or promoting tourists to wear masks or social distance. On Prideaux Street in Old town we have been impacted with speeding vehicles, excessive exhaust & continual noise let alone the lack of respect for residents.
We strongly agree with the articles in the July 9/20 The Lake Report from Bruce Gitelman & Samuel Young.
It is time something was done to manage the influx of cars & tourists to our town all year long once & for all.
Having a location to park cars on land outside the Historic area is definitely required. The town would still benefit from the wealth of parking fees, visitor's would finally have a designated parking area without frustration & be regularly transferred into town or Queen's park.
We as residents would have our town back!
A win win situation!
Thank you for all your efforts on behalf of NOTL residents."
C.C. - Town Resident
"We live near Ryerson Park and it has become as crowded as the town park. There are no washrooms so tourist have been urinating in park and leaving garbage all over the grass. The parking on side streets in unsafe as we have very narrow streets and many times our own cars cant get by to get to our own homes. Tourists have taken over our park and our community and we can no longer go down in the evenings to see the sunsets as the tourists have taken over any benches/picnic tables and it is loud and too busy. Definitely voters before tourists!"
C.C. - Town Resident
"New to the area but have noticed big groups of up to 30 from Toronto that use all the facilities in the parks & don’t spend a dime here, while leaving a giant mess behind. zero social distancing rules respected and using the bushes as bathrooms for starters. i genuinely feel for anyone that lives near Ryerson Park."
T.W. - Town Resident
"We live on Front St. and certainly witnessed a lot more traffic on July 1st and last weekend. When the weather is nice we like to sit on our front porch with the view of the Lake and it is most unpleasant with a constant stream of traffic and the pollution that comes with it, not to mention the noise of unmuffled cars and motorcycles. We also witness the people who come to town to picnic at Queen's Royal Park, bringing all their food with them, taking a free parking space and leaving without purchasing a thing and sometimes leaving a mess behind in the park that the Town has to clean up. Anyone who lives in Town, within walking distance of a park would never consider going on the weekend as it is just too overrun with tourists. Now we don't even want to venture to Queen Street and have to stay indoors to enjoy our own property!
Thank you very much for taking this initiative."
G.G. - Town Resident
"Residents have been driven away from Queen Street due to overcrowding. Paid parking tickets by residents is a joke -- no parking spots dedicated to residents, see my article re: this matter in the Lake Report. Seniors tickets should be free -- parking for all residents extended to 2 hrs. to help support our local merchants.
NOTL HAS ALREADY REACHED THE TOURISM "SATURATION POINT " The President of the Chamber of Commerce " is next to useless and will not involve his members or himself in any meaningful discussions to resolve these overtourism issues.
You will note I have written extensively, over the past several months, in the Lake Report about Queen ST. --- The closing there-off and parking in general.
The town is focused, like a rifle shot, on tourism bucks, at any cost -- as is the merchants . There is an old boy network , like any small town, with a vested interest in keeping the status quo. --- Good Luck breaking through this group."
S.Y. - Town Resident
"Difficult to find parking in old town, especially on Queen St. It's challenging for the tourists to park as well, as they will park on our street (away from the main part of town) on weekends. We don't have sidewalks on our street, so you need to be very careful driving with cars parked along the side, and pedestrians, dogs etc. on the road."
M.M. - Town Resident
"The tourists have become more and more aggressive and entitled with each passing year. We pay for sidewalks in this town that no one uses. Instead they walk five abreast on the wrong side of the street and then give the finger when you politely honk to make a right hand turn at a stop sign. Bicyclist's too have become a huge problem. They make it impossible to drive past them on side roads and even main streets as they ride two abreast and don't even move to let cars by. Tourists park at the Value Mart (never towed) in the Post Office (never towed) and at the 15 minute parking in front of the Post Office (where occasionally they get ticketed). And now this town is considering more hotels and Inns? Come on. As far as I can tell, City Council only cares about tourists with little concern for residents except those who benefit from them. I get so that Friday to Monday I don't leave my house. And our Mayor (who I voted for) is so concerned about getting re-elected, she does nothing whatsoever the minute she gets a little push back. Niagara on the take. That's what people call this town."
L.W. - Town Resident
"The closing of Queen Street and the subsequent diverted to 14,000 cars per weekend when there is no other commercial Street to cross the town in a river on one side has made traffic jams on my residential street a major headache."
C.F. - Town Resident
"I'm glad I came across the Lake Report editorial on your initiative and the letter from Frank Sisinni. I was beginning to think I was the only resident with serious concerns that the charm and character of our town is on the verge of being destroyed by over-promotion of tourism, and succumbing to the worst kind of tourist. I submitted a lengthy comment in response to the Town's Join The Conversation Survey but unfortunately I cannot access it again to repeat here.
Be assured it touched on all the points made about turning Queen Street into another non-descript entertainment district, that aside from ice-cream and souvenir stores it is actually the local residents, not day-trippers, who truly support the local clothing businesses and fine-dining restaurants.
I also voiced my concerns that the majority of those who support the closure of Queen Street and permanent introduction of street patios do not live in NOTL or contribute to the maintenance of the Town. And of course having to also endure the constant throb of motorbikes, many blaring out music to overcome their own engine noise.
Which brings me to today's news that the Town will have staff on Queen Street this weekend with iPads soliciting feedback on the closure. That is very annoying because they will only receive biased support from visitors, since many residents absolutely avoid Queen Street on the weekends. I wanted to voice this concern on the Join The Conversation website, but was unable to, because I had already completed the survey once before. The report submitted to Council on July 20th will therefore be slanted in favour of maintaining the street closure, because residents will not have been properly consulted or represented again.
As to personal experiences, the obvious is Ryerson Park, where up to last year we were able to quietly enjoy the sunset during mid-week. Now, we cannot even get near the park mid-week! This past weekend, we witnessed a family of 8 set up their folding chairs on the Negro Burial Ground at Mississagua/Mary and 'picnic' on their take-out from Subway.
In closing, I'm very angry that our retirement dream is being taken away by a Mayor and Council who seem to view the rights of tourists above and beyond the residents who actually provide the revenue to run the Town. We fully support your initiative and would welcome taking part in any action that voices the concerns of residents. Enough is enough!"
B.B. - Town Resident
"I was born in the old town and so were my parents and grandparents . To be honest we have fought the fight for years and I’m a bit worn out from it. I’m thrilled a new group has stepped forward. We need all the help we can get. I have a feeling this group will be able to actually do something to save our town. I’m mean in a good and healthy way for all. Good luck !
Bruce is a goodly and principled man . An excellent spokesperson for your group. All the Best"
S.B. - Town Resident
"Loud, partying Air BNBs on my street with no regards for quiet enjoyment of residents. They come to party & party they do.
Traffic... crazy speeding cars running stop signs ( where they exist) and sheer amount of traffic on John & Anne Street. Living near Pillar & Post...
Walking our Old Town can be treacherous as such disregard for pedestrians - narrow streets & often no sidewalks. Cars get close to you & so many drivers distracted looking around at sites or trying to figure out where to go/ park.
It's a Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde community as it explodes with tourists.
The one thing I have enjoyed with the shut down due to COVID is the ability to enjoy the sounds of nature, peaceful sleeps & safer walking. A true Old Town feeling."
J.M. - Town Resident
"We see Ryerson Park overcrowded , cars double parked. Cars parked along Vincent St. blocking room for emergency vehicles.
Clearly unsafe for residents to use park on weekends , due to overcrowding and garbage. Hundreds of cars using Shakespeare Ave. to exit town.
This small park should be for residents only."
M.B. - Town Resident
"Quiet dog walks are no longer possible after 6 am in the summer as the Parkway becomes packed withe-scooters, bikes and gawking tourists.
Gates have been installed on our property to keep tourists from entering our gardens for photo ops. ‘Just looking” ! One tourist used binoculars to view into our home. And the drunken Winery tours of cyclists overtake the country roads as they make their rounds... as many as 30 in a group overtaking the roads, throwing up on the side roads etc etc. And with this influx, comes the competition between wineries to attract them to their venue... how about a “rodeo” in the vineyard, a wedding in the vineyard, adding on fireworks with no respect for neighbouring residents. The noise emanating from all of these Events creates a Disney like atmosphere. Noise is a HUGE issue that comes with overtourism... it needs to be contained and the onus falls on Council to enact and enforce reasonable Noise By Laws that protect the residents right to quality to life and enjoyment of their property."
E.D. - Town Resident
"Motorcyclists on weekends roar by and appear to drive through without stopping.
Weekends find Front Street clogged with drivers looking for parking and brazenly using our driveway to turn around.
Landscape services use weekends disturbing the peace with their power lawnmowers and hedge clippers."
S.S. - Town Resident
"We see Ryerson Park overcrowded , cars double parked. Cars parked along Vincent St. blocking room for emergency vehicles. Clearly unsafe for residents to use park on weekends , due to overcrowding and garbage. Hundreds of cars using Shakespeare Ave. to exit town. This small park should be for residents only."
B.M. - Town Resident
"It is past time that the residents of the Town of Niagara on the Lake had an honest and open conversation regarding the level of tourism we wish to sustain. The impacts on our way of life, the ever escalating number of visitors that we as residents must endure, the consequences of this influx, must all be talked about. We can and should strike a balance between the many stakeholders, but the residents voice must be heard."
K.C. - Town Resident
"Live on Niagara Blvd at Ryerson Park. Friday, Saturday Sunday at least 50 Motorcycles per day with not a muffler in sight. Endless traffic from 11 am until 7:00 pm. Sunset brings a few hundred people to Park with every side street totally packed."
M.E. - Town Resident
“Absolutely NO to the QUEEN ST Closure !!
Who comes up with these ideas really ?
Let me know if I should do anything else other than responding to this email ?
Thank you very much for making me aware of it . “
C.R. - Town Resident
“As to Queen St. closing. As with buses, cars could be parked on the grass of both sides of Ft. George leading into town. Transit routed via John and Mary streets. What a horror if traffic came along Front or wandered around getting lost or blocked.
Absolutely dumb and dangerous to alter vehicular patterns without considering taxpayers, voters, and quality of life.
There are towns in Provence totally uninhabitable by their residents owing to tourists who traipse through, buy a trinket and leave their half eaten food in overflowing garbage cans. Ditto Venice.
Once word gets out about crowding, high end clientele will go elsewhere. Thus if merchants see advantage to Queen St. closing they will be disappointed. Same for BnB.
What can we do?”
E.S. - Town Resident
I just walked through Queens Royal park. It's an absolute madhouse. Counted over 300 people, 6 BBQs and two open flame fires. Many groups of people with more than 10 max.
Traffic on Front Street was stopped (you must be fed up with that)!
The mass tourism approach needs to stop!
No bylaw officers anywhere.
B.H. - Town Resident
I had myself attempted to navigate Delater and Front Streets where I encountered pedestrians wandering down the middle of the streets, camped out on resident’s lawns and aggressive drivers who made it clear that they didn’t appreciate me interrupting their house viewing from their stopped-in-the-middle-of-the-street positioning as I simply tried to get by them and move past this Dante-like scene.
Apart from the health and safety implications of what we witnessed yesterday in this area, and the obvious bylaw infringements, the lost revenue opportunities must be truly incredible. On my way home, Ryerson Park was the same ****-show but on a smaller scale with at least 30 illegally parked cars on feeder side streets, making driving or walking in this area (where I live) dangerous. And all of this with our hotels, theatres, and restaurant dining rooms closed.
Suggest council come up with a strategy quickly for dealing with this situation in our parks (because clearly there is not currently one). If this is any indication, it would appear that you have lost the plot, as they say, with respect to balancing the demands of tourists (which now appear to be a Town priority), the need to portray our Town in the historical and cultural light which it deserves and the very basic needs of resident taxpayers.
Needless to say, placing picnic tables on a closed Queen Street this coming Wednesday is not a strategy.
M.M. - Town Resident
“I think with all the extra traffic that will be travelling down Simcoe, Front and Prideaux, and King, we will have trouble getting in and out of our driveways, our enjoyment of our properties will be greatly impaired and we will be subjected to air and noise pollution. I believe, if the Town is implementing this policy, they should reduce our property taxes by 10%. This will also apply in the residential areas on the west side of Queen Street as well
Anyone in favour of getting up a petition?”
P.T. - Town Resident